Clean Cities points way to alternative fuels

Question: What saved 500,000 gallons of petroleum and kept an estimated 4,000 tons of greenhouses gases from escaping into the atmosphere over Western North Carolina in 2011?

Answer: Efforts in the Asheville area to promote alternative fuels, cleaner cars and better air quality for Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties.

Those efforts, which have been underway for eight years, were recognized last week when the U.S. Department of Energy officially designated the Land-of-Sky Clean Vehicle Coalition as the nation's 85th Clean Cities Coalition during a ceremony at the N.C. Arboretum. The designation makes the coalition eligible for more grants to accelerate the process of improving air quality.

"We're so pleased to officially add Land of Sky to the list of designated clean cities coalitions," said national clean cities Director Dennis Smith. "The coalition's leadership and its stakeholders have already demonstrated an impressive commitment to reducing petroleum use in western North Carolina, and we look forward to seeing even more great things from them in the future."

Bill Eaker of Land-of-Sky Regional Council said that in 2004 the region had only about 100 alternative-fuel

vehicles and a handful of gas-electric hybrids. "Now fleets have 1,300 alternative-fuel vehicles, and there are over 1,700

"When we had the opportunity to pur­sue clean cities designation, we jumped at the chance," Eaker said. "We saw it as an effective means to not only improve our air quality, but also support national energy security."

"I've been working in the environmental field for 30 years, and I've never come across a program like Clean Cities, with such strong partnerships at the federal, state, and local levels, and in both the public and private sectors. We're excited to be a part of it," Eaker said.

The designation will help make Asheville known as the greenest city in the Southeast, according to Maggie Ullman, city sustainability coordinator. "Fuel and fleet are a huge part of the solution to reducing our carbon footprint, and the coalition offers a workable road map to get there. This means so much to Asheville."

She also cited tangible environmental benefits. "Those high-elevation balds we have are really special. As we pursue alternative fuels, we are better able to protect those places," Ullman said.

"Coalition stakeholders have already benefited during the period we were working on designation," Eaker said. "We secured over $1 million in DOE funds that helped the cities of Asheville and Hendersonville, Henderson County and Mission Health System purchase 37 compressed natural gas vehicles and expand the fueling capacity of the Asheville and Henderson County public access CNG fueling stations."

The Department of Energy does more than just provide money. It also provides advice. The Petroleum Reduction Planning Tool shows the benefits that come from any specific strategy regarding alternative fuels, advanced vehicles or fuel economy improvements.

"Fleets across the country are trying to reduce their petroleum use and cut emissions," said Witt Sparks of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. "This tool provides insights into which strategies will help ? A fleet manager can sit down in front of a single Web page, explore mul­tiple strategies, and know what the energy and environmental impacts will be before making any substantial investments."

"I love petroleum, but its day is done. We need to move past oil-based and even coal-based power all the way to more renewable energy," said Stan Cross of Brightfield Transportation Systems. His firm offers electric rental cars for tourists to use on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

With its new designation, Land-of-Sky can continue to help make that possible.

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Clean Cities points way to alternative fuels

Question: What saved 500,000 gallons of petroleum and kept an estimated 4,000 tons of greenhouses gases from escaping into the atmosphere over Western North Carolina in 2011?